Plant-Based BLT Sandwich (PBLT!)

With crispy rice paper bacon, zesty herb aioli, and spicy tomato habanero jam, this vegan BLT is a flavor explosion that might just become your new favorite sandwich!

I love it when I find a recipe for a vegan version of an old favorite that totally blows the non-vegan version out of the water.

Guys, this BLT is insanely good. And, well, it's not my recipe. This one comes from The Wicked Healthy Cookbook by Chad Sarno, Derek Sarno, and David Joachim, and it's going right into regular rotation in my house.

As you can probably guess, I really, really dig this cookbook. I spend a lot of time looking at recipes, and these are some of the most creative vegan dishes I've come across. These recipes are bold. Definitely a good one if you consider yourself a vegan foodie, and definitely a book that proves wrong anyone who ever called vegan food boring.

You'll find a mix of super creative versions of familiar dishes and ones that are new and perfect for the adventurous cook. The next dish on my list is the Banana Blossoms with Coconut and Chile. I actually got really excited when I saw this one because a local produce market carries banana blossoms and up until now I've had no idea what to do with them. I'm also itching to try the Sloppy BBQ Jackfruit Sliders, Sweet Potato Gratin with Crispy Onions and Rosemary, and the Porcini Ravioli with Garlic Butter and Sorrel.

So, about the BLT! One of the coolest things about this recipe is that it gives you a choice as to what kind of vegan bacon you want to use. The recipe as printed in the book includes instructions for eggplant, tofu, tempeh, carrot, coconut, rice paper, portobello or shiitake mushroom bacon. I tried the recipe with both tempeh and rice paper bacon, and both were awesome, but I decided to share the recipe with the rice paper option, since rice paper bacon is new to me and this blog

Rice paper bacon is kind of perfect for a vegan BLT because it gets super crispy. You'll mix up a smoky marinade, moisten some rice paper wraps, then brush them with the marinade and bake.

Two things that set this sandwich apart from other BLTs are the herb aioli and the habanero jam. For the aioli you'll just mix some herbs and seasonings into regular vegan mayo.

The tomato jam takes a bit more work, but it's so worth it. The good news is that it makes a big batch, so you can keep it around and put it on all of your sandwiches for weeks.

I only deviated from the recipe by using red leaf lettuce instead of bibb. I had a bunch in the fridge that I didn't want to go bad!

Tips for Making an Awesome Vegan BLT

• In case it wasn't obvious, the tomato habanero jam is hot! I loved it, but it was a bit intense for my husband. If you're not into heat, you can either reduce the number of peppers when you make it, and/or spread a super thin layer on your sandwich. Please don't skip it though! Even a tiny bit will add big flavor.
• If you're anything like me you'll want to make a double batch of the rice paper bacon, because you'll end up snacking on half of it.
• Watch the rice paper bacon closely while it cooks, as it can burn fast.
• This turned out to be a great meal prep recipe! Make the jam, aioli, and rice paper bacon ahead of time, then all you have to do is assemble sandwiches at dinner time.

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4 from 2 votes

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Plant-Based BLT Sandwich (PBLT!)

With crispy rice paper bacon, zesty herb aioli, and spicy tomato habanero jam, this vegan BLT is a flavor explosion that might just become your new favorite sandwich!

Course Sandwich

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 1 sandwich

Calories 623 kcal

Author Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Tomato Hababero Jam

• 10 vine-ripened tomatoes, about 4 pounds
• 2 tablespoons everyday olive oil
• 1 sweet white onion, diced small (about 1 ½ cups)
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced wicked thin
• 6 to 10 habanero chile peppers, sliced or minced
• 2 cups organic cane sugar
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• Pinch of ground white pepper

For the Herb Aioli

• 1 cup Plant-Based Mayo (page 264) or store-bought, such as Just Mayo
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely grated with a Microplane zester
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons minced or snipped fresh chives
• Pinch of coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Plant Bacon

• ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 ½ tablespoons Homemade Badass Sriracha (page 276) or other sriracha
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (mesquite preferred), optional
• ½ tablespoon granulated onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 rice paper wrappers

For the Sandwiches

• Your favorite bread
• Shave red onion
• Vine ripened tomato
• Bibb lettuce

Instructions

To Make the Tomato Habanero Jam

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Set up a bowl of ice water.

2. Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato, then drop them into the boiling water and blanch until the skins start to peel back, about 30 seconds. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes to the ice water. When cool, peel the skins from the tomatoes with your fingertips and a paring knife. Remove the cores and roughly chop the peeled tomatoes. You should have about 8 cups.

3.  Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and sweat until soft, about 5 minutes. You don’t want to brown the onions, just soften or "sweat" them. Add the garlic and continue sweating for 3 to 4 minutes more. 
   

4. Add the chopped tomatoes and everything else and crank the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cut the heat to low. Let everything simmer gently until thickened to a soft jam-like consistency, 1 to 1¼ hours. With all that sugar, the jam will want to burn on the bottom. Don’t let it. Stir the pot often to keep the jam from sticking and burning. The finished consistency should be like thin jam. It will thicken up more when it cools. 
   

5.  When the hot jam is nice and thick but still pourable, ladle or pour the jam into a pint-size Mason jar. Screw on the lid and let the jam sit at room temperature until cooled, 1 to 2 hours. The heat in the jar should create a vacuum, sucking down the lid. When cooled, store the jam in the fridge. It will keep for a few weeks.  
   

To Make the Herb Aioli

1. Whisk everything together in a small mixing bowl or jar. Use immediately or cover and chill in the fridge for about a week.

To Make the Plant Bacon

1. In a bowl or jar, whisk or shake together the tamari, maple syrup, sriracha, liquid smoke if using, granulated onion, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper.

2.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using 10 rice papers (about 8½-inch diameter), dip each in warm water to soften, then pat dry with clean kitchen towels. Dip a pastry brush in the marinade and paint the paper all over with marinade. Fold the paper in half to make a half-moon shape, then cut it crosswise into strips about 1 inch wide. Place the folded strips on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining rice papers. Bake the strips (in batches if necessary) until crispy, about 20 minutes. 
   

To Assemble the Sandwich

1. Choose your favorite bread, like a small ciabatta bread roll sliced in half.

2.  Lather on Herb Aioli and Tomato Habanero Jam.
   

3.  Layer the sandwich with thinly shaved red onion, thin slices of vine-ripened tomato, your favorite Plant Bacon, and then Bibb lettuce. Chomp down and enjoy with a crisp pilsner beer!  
   

Recipe Notes

Excerpted from the book THE WICKED HEALTHY COOKBOOK by Chad Sarno, Derek Sarno, and David Joachim. Copyright © 2018 by Chad Sarno and Derek Sarno. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Life & Style. All rights reserved.

Nutrition information is estimated for 1 sandwich including 2 tablespoons of aioli, 2 tablespoons of tomato habanero jam, and ¼ of a batch of rice paper bacon.

Nutrition Facts

Plant-Based BLT Sandwich (PBLT!)

Amount Per Serving (1 sandwich)

Calories 623 Calories from Fat 221

% Daily Value*

Fat 24.6g38%

Saturated Fat 2.1g11%

Sodium 1079mg45%

Potassium 511mg15%

Carbohydrates 85g28%

Fiber 4.8g19%

Sugar 39.2g44%

Protein 10.6g21%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 1.8mg10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.